Multiple parliamentary sources say that Streatham MP Chuka Umunna plans to announce his resignation from the Labour party around 8pm this evening.
Labour sources are attributing the decision to the fact that Theresa May has suffered yet another huge parliamentary defeat. Mr Umunna was not reachable for comment.
Umunna’s flip-flops on a new referendum and controls on immigration are well known, yet it is likely that his departure – if it goes ahead – will be blamed on this and other areas in which he has an inconsistent history.
A number of mainstream journalists appear to have been briefed and are dropping hints about a big announcement at 8pm in spite of an apparent embargo.
Umunna earlier claimed that holding the party together and was the job of the leadership.
Update 8.04pm: Chuka Umunna has now denied the reports, according to the BBC’s Iain Watson. Of course, he may not have intended to resign but a #ChickenChuka hashtag has already begun circulating on social media.
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Proof if ever it were needed that the “Blairite conspiracy” was/is very real.
Wooohoooo – FINALLY Good riddance, all we need now is a GE and he’s finished, his constituency will never return the chump once against a true Labour potential MP.
Just listened to Anna Soubry on Ch4, talking about “brave Chuka Umunna” and “the peoples vote”. These people come across as ideological caricatures of themselves.
Near choked on me tea when I heard her spoutin’ that!!
First thing I thought of was the ‘holy grail’ scene with Sir Robin & his minstrel…
Brave, brave sir chuka, he bravely ran awayyyyy
Instead of going head-to-head
He bravely turned his tail and fled
Brave, brave, brave, brave sir chukaaaaa.
Anyway, me Monte Cristo’s not gettin lit just yet
We’ll see. I tend not to trust the Westminster journo gang-bang without backup.
But of course, the acid test of anyone resigning the whip is whether they also resign their seat, If they don’t, they’re poseurs and fakers. Simple acid test that tells all, because that’s how they got elected – through the Party, not through their magical personality.
My usual bet: £111.11 to charity says that even if he resigns the whip (don’t forget the boy who cried wolf), he’ll cling to his seat, even if it means losing a few perfectly manicured fingernails.
Hmmm…
Even though it’s an honourable charity wager, most bookies would only return £111.12p
What odds on him crossing the floor, I wonder?
Small boy: “Wolf!”
So, were going to hear a load bullshit over the next week then?
It’ll be maximum effect, coordinated, plenty of propaganda and insincere weeping. When all is needed is, we couldn’t get Corbyn!
As soon as one goes, get one in and promote it widely.
Chuka is going to resign the whip? Good. Hope he takes the rest of the Labour in Name Only MPs with him.
Also hope he resigns his seat too so we can have a by- election and elect a genuine Labour MP
And the reason the cigar won’t be getting lit is because the enemy within won’t havve gone with him.
They come in all shapes and sizes…Some, like Liverpool mayor (for now) joe anderson, make eric pickles look positively stick insect.
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/battle-lines-drawn-tense-wavertree-15831549
No, joe, it’s berger, not BURGER.
Let’s hope berger and the potato-headed balloon get sent a message this evening every bit as much as we want umunna to spew the party.
Has he gone yet? Has he gone yet? Has he gone yet? Has he gone yet? Has he gone yet? Has he gone yet? Has he gone yet? Has he gone yet?
Whaddaya mean – NO?
Chrissakes – I’ve seen pirates walk the plank quicker than this beaut finally do the frank bough.
Hard to believe the cowardly opportunist ,Chuka, will leave just on his own. IF (VERY big IF ) he does leave tonight I assume it will be part of a pre-planned rolling programme of resignations – as with the Chicken Coup in 2016 – to keep the press interested, and feed a few days of TV interviews , and try to build up some momentum to draw other PLP Rightists to join them. But so far no news – so has Chuka bottled it ? That celebratory bottle of best bitter will have to stay a while longer in the cupboard.
NOTHING YET, this guy just keeps disappointing us.
Changed his mind again no doubt, its his thing.
May blames her pathetic failures on Corbyn, vainly trying to cover up the fact that she can’t even convince her own MPs she has a clue.
It was obvious to a child that Brexit was a poisoned chalice – nobody with a clue would have taken it on.
Cameron at least had the humility to fuck off red-faced.
The only Brexit plus is Thatcher spinning in her grave.
The tosser Umunna will fit right in when he crosses the floor but it’s annoying that he’ll still be sucking at the national tit.
“Cameron at least had the humility to fuck off red-faced.”
… I’m not sure ‘humility’ is quite the word. 🙂
Just as in the leadership race he gets cold feet!
True!
Ah ah. Saddened and disappointed by 8.04pm update. Cold feet! What a shame. Was looking forward to the farewell.
He wouldn’t be getting a ‘farewell’ from me…Something else beginning with ‘f’ , relating to leaving.
In fact, leaving or not I’ll tell him anyway 🙂
Indeed, very disappointed, purchased front show seats and had a no show again – he’s absolutely useless, well apart from being a wrecker.
”he’s absolutely useless, well apart from being a wrecker.”
A wrecker? He’s something that begins with ‘w’ and ends with ‘r’, sure.
…And I don’t mean ‘worker’.
bugger it chukka makes your mind up
go
I know this isn’t strictly on-topic. But I’ve tried posting this a coupl;e of times, and the anti-spam seems to do a Graun on it – it disappears.
It isn’t spam, and it isn’t offensive – just two links to material very relevant to the distortion of the current right-wing AS scam – from reputable and referenced sources. Do read if you have any doubts about the distortions inherent in the whole affair. :
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/blog/jackie-walker-abused-and-vilified/
http://jfjfp.com/jackie-walker-responds-to-accusations-of-antisemitism/
If you put more than one link in a comment WordPress will automatically put it on moderation and it won’t be visible until I get chance to approve it.
Thanks for the rationale. Could do with an explanation at the time, given the disappearance into the ether – which could be down to a number of local or network reasons.
Skwawkbox :
Why is the site blocking non-inflammatory comments/links related to the AS scam???
Not sure what you mean?
I’d put a couple of links to JVL & ‘Jews for Justice for Palestinians’ which illustrated the distortions and vile postings (by the JC amongst others) aimed at ant-racist Jews who don’t follow the right-wing/Israel lobby line.
They relate to the case of Jackie Walker – as we know, a much traduced member of the Party, slandered by the pretend accusers.
They seem particularly apt given the need for transparency in showing the actuality of scam accusations, which are hidden in simple figures.
Perhaps I’m getting too conscious of the ‘omerta’ self-censorship that takes place in general.
I am more convinced than ever that these ‘rumours’ are all to sow and project an image of discontent and division but mainly distract from the utter ineptitude of the May regime which is presiding over absolute chaos, breakdown and privatisation of all socialised support structures and inflicting suffering, humiliation even death on British citizens. Let’s not forget the never ending suffering and death inflicted by UK foreign ops. Yemen is a huge humanitarian catastrophe and May regime is in it up to its filthy neck.
In the end these MPs are serving the May regime and establishment, certainly not UK population.
‘I am more convinced than ever that these ‘rumours’ are all to sow and project an image of discontent and division but mainly distract from the utter ineptitude of the May regime…’. That makes two of us. I will add: …aided and abetted by the Israeli Lobby.
Ah remember the Chicken Coup?
Well now we are in the Chicken Divorce.
Yet another media Babble Bubble Broadcast from the BBB.
We are now being treated to an incessant spray of BBB headli(n)es remember the “n” is optional, about the Chicken Divorce party with people going on about: “I am going to leave you know, I am, I am, I am you know, you watch me, see if I don’t, look, look, see I am leaving, I am you know, I am going to leave, if you don’t do what I want, I’ll leave, see if I don’t, I am gonna’ leave, I’ll leave, I will you know, I’ll leave, you just watch me, I will, will, I’ll leave…”
To which the only reply necessary is “OK.”
And remember when in the election cycle the establishment staged the Chicken Coup? Well this BBB event is at the same stage, just before a GE could be called. So get ready people.
Well, it’s half-past tomorrow and little Umunna’s balked at the big fence again.
Looking more and more like the wrong horse.
Or the wrong Mavis.
Grow a pair and jump, you fucker.
… or would it be better to just not give him too much attention. As you wouldn’t an attention-seeking child?
As me mother used to say ‘It’s not big, and it’s not clever’.
David, here’s one for you!
https://youtu.be/_ZEEgIti8sM
I think you’re all being a little hard on the man. It may be s simple case of equine flu. Once he’s shaken that off, he’ll be off and running with the best of them.
HOT off the Guardianista press ! https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/15/uk-mps-intense-talks-setting-up-new-centrist-party-labour
Let us hope a lot more than a mere SIX bugger off with their Tory pals !!!
From the Guardian piece jpenney linked to:
“I honestly believe this is imminent. You will see the values emphasised first, rather than policies.”
There’s a reason for that. A new party needs to agree a manifesto – policies, not just ‘values’.
PrimaDonna splitters are by definition disagreeable, self-serving little shits.
A manifesto concocted by disgruntled ex-Tories and disgruntled ex-half-Tories isn’t going to have much clear water between it and Tory policy.
Any fresh policy ideas will be hijacked by the newly-nice Tories right before the next GE anyway, leaving the new party hanging irrelevantly.
The final act comes when the members, having failed at the ballot box, claim that British politics ‘no longer meets their high standards’ and that he who assumed the leadership by making the first move had let the party down dreadfully – implying that under their own leadership the party would of course have done much better.
Politics is, after all, scapegoatery – every one of the muffers genetically incapable of admitting personal error.